The Iranian president made the remarks in a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the fourth summit of the CICA in Shanghai, on Thursday, adding, “Standing by you, we will make all efforts for helping and success of the CICA.”

Rouhani touched upon the growing ties between Tehran and Beijing, saying, “Since our bilateral meeting in Bishkek, we have witnessed the expansion of forward-moving [relations].”

The two presidents met in the Kyrgyz capital city of Bishkek in September 2013 ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.

The Iranian president also expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for holding the conference “with good management,” adding that the summit had produced “good results.”

The Chinese president, for his part, said the relations between the two countries are at a high level, adding, “The Chinese government is satisfied with the forward-moving trend in relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

He further noted that in recent years, transactions between Iran and China have been on the rise, adding the two countries are in consultations over regional and international issues.

CICA is a multi-national forum to enhance cooperation in a bid to promote peace, security and stability in Asia.

The forum groups 24 countries, among them Afghanistan, Azerbaijan Republic, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

SHI/SHI